The Welland and Fort Erie Timber Marts presented Merrittville
Speedway’s 66th Anniversary Reunion Night July 15th.
It was a night of celebration for the newest honorees of the CAA
Niagara Dedication to Racing Awards, the newest inductees into
the L. St. Amand Enterprises Wall of Fame and drivers reaching
victory lane.

Ten years after winning his first Jerry Winger Memorial for the
Pinty’s Delicious Foods 358 Modifieds – Chad Brachmann of
Sanborn NY took home his third and second straight event that
honors the former Driver and Wall of Famer that passed away in
1959.

Also backing up his Nostalgia Night Win of last season was S&W
Service Centre Sportsman Driver Brad Rouse of St. Catharines.

Jay Moulton also of the Garden City would make his first career
trip to Victory Lane in the Central Fabricating & Welding 4
Cylinder Division. Tyler Winger of Stevensville took home his
first Wood Motor Company Modified Lite Feature while Mark
Shadwell of Hamilton won the Vintage Race Car Feature.

“I was here for the first ever race
(July 1st 1952) … I’d ride my bike here as a kid,”
said Sargent whose son Ken ran to Street Stock and Pro Stock
Championships earlier in his career, “since then – it’s been an
incredible evolution of speed.”

“I really appreciate what this means,”
said Howard Schram who like Sargent helped racers over the years
before getting involved in track preparation, “I do it for the
love of the sport.”

“Thanks to (Reunion Committee Member)
Erica Bicknell-Jones for finding me,” said Lee Winger now
residing in North Carolina in his acceptance speech, “thanks to
everyone I raced against over the years… it was a great
experience.”

“He’s at the car window every night,”
said current Sportsman racer Justin Sharp after his grandfather
Neil Sharp’s Wall of Fame Induction who has been involved in the
sport and as a car owner and sponsor for 6 decades, “he lets me
know what’s going on.”

“After some bad luck … it feels good
to get another win,” said now two time 2017 Winner Chad
Brachmann who last won May 27th, “it’s great to be
back here on such a Nostalgic Night.”

Brachmann took the lead just before
halfway and despite being slowed for a couple cautions – had
opened up about a ¼ lap lead by lap 35. A lap 42 caution saw
Brachmann back out front but not without a challenge from Erick
Rudolph.

The two were side by side on lap 44
but in the final 6 laps – Brachmann was able to distance himself
once again from the field.

Prior to going green in the 50 lap
Jerry Winger Memorial, Justin Sharp led the field during pace
laps with his Sportsman in honor of his grandfather’s induction
earlier in the night.

Once under green, front row starters
Gary Lindberg and Pete Bicknell were side by side on the initial
start before Bicknell found the advantage the first time down
the backstretch.

Bicknell – a 5 time Jerry Winger
Memorial Winner raced to a 5 car advantage on Erick Rudolph with
Gary Lindberg the same distance back in third in the early
stages. Quickly Bicknell would open up almost a two second
advantage until Brachmann took control of top spot.

Ryan Susice made a late race charge to
land in the top 5 battling Bicknell and Lindberg but at the
finish it was Brachmann, Rudolph, Bicknell, Susice and Lindberg
as the Top 5.

Two time Winger Winner Mike Bowman was
one of several cars that were involved in a multicar incident in
Turn 4 on lap 10. 4 time winner Larry Lampman finished 11th.

“I just kept working the bottom,” said
Brad Rouse after the 25 lap S&W Service Centre Sportsman
Feature, “the car spent the week at BRP getting reclipped … we
come every week with our A Game.”

Robbie Johnston was first to lead
before Justin Sharp became the new leader on lap 3.

Sharp would be slowed three times for
incidents before losing the lead to James Friesen in the
borrowed Gord McIntosh #72 on lap 8.

Just after losing top spot, Sharp
would fall off the pace with Brad Rouse taking over second at
the halfway point.

By lap 15, Rouse was within 5 car
lengths of Friesen. Three laps later the margin was down to a
car length.

A lap 20 caution had Friesen back out
front with Rouse pulling alongside the leader on lap 23.

Friesen almost lost it late in the
race between Turns 3 and 4 but gathered it back until Rouse made
a last lap pass to take home his 3rd win of the
season.

Rouse and Friesen were followed by
Brent Begolo, Cody McPherson and Rob Knapp.

“Thanks Dad for the set up,” said
first time 2017 Mod Lite Feature Winner Tyler Winger, “I kept
pushing and pushing it but I learned in Karts – you have to be
smooth. Karting has helped me in my transition for sure.”

Doug Misener was first to lead the
Wood Motor Company Modified Lite Feature before Winger took
control half a lap in.

By the halfway point, Winger stretched
his lead to about a straightaway by the halfway point.

Just after hitting lap traffic on lap
11, Brent Begolo took over second spot but ran out of laps for a
chance to catch Winger whose advantage in the caution free event
was 1.9 seconds.

At the checkered flag, Winger and
Begolo were followed by Josh Sliter, Misener and Chris Watson.

“Tony’s always told me … if you see
him or others coming – don’t worry about it. I wasn’t worried
especially when I could use a lap car to my advantage,” said
first time Merrittville winner Jay Moulton, “I had some tire
trouble before the feature … so thanks to Kyle Rothwell for the
help and Rob Goulding for building the car.”

The Tony Moulton was referring to was
Tony Kelly – whose late race charge found him side by side with
the leader as the two took the white flag.

Taking the checkered flag the next
time around … Moulton’s lead was less than a car length … about
8/100th’s of a second.

Moulton also survived a few cautions
in the early half of the 15 lap event. Kyle Rothwell would take
over second on lap 5 and began to close in to the halfway point.
Kelly would take over second on lap 11 but fell just short at
the finish.

Moulton, Kelly and Rothwell were
followed by Cole Hardy and Tom Neale.

“I didn’t think I had anything for
Bill,” said Mark Shadwell after winning the Vintage Race Car
Feature, “this #41 Willys Body was run at the former Speedway
Park by Don Turner. It’s neat to win on Reunion Night – my Dad
and my brother both raced back in the day.”

Willard – a third generation racer, L.
St. Amand Enterprises Wall of Famer and Reunion Committee Member
set the pace at the start of the special Vintage Race Car Event
before Shadwell took over top spot on lap 6.

At the checkered flag, Shadwell had
opened up a straightaway advantage.

PIT NOTES

On behalf of Merrittville Speedway – the Reunion Committee would
like to thank all of the Alumni, Vintage Race Car Drivers and L.
St. Amand Enterprises Wall of Fame Partners - CAA Niagara and
Auto FX Graphics and Signs for a tremendous 66th
Anniversary Celebration.

A huge part of the evening couldn’t have been possible without
Eataly Foods and Downtown Dolce in Port Colborne.

After winning his Mod Lite and Sportsman Features last week,
Brent Begolo was named the Archer Truck Centres Driver of the
Week.

UPCOMING AT MERRITTVILLE

Hingston Metal Fabricators
will present it’s annual Minor Sport Night Saturday July 22nd
with the S&W Service Centre Sportsman Division featured in the
second round of the David Chevrolet King of the Crates Series.

MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS
The 2017 66th
Anniversary Bobcat of Hamilton Weekly Racing Series for
Merrittville Speedway’s 5 Divisions was brought to race fans and
racers by division sponsors – Pinty’s Delicious Foods, S&W
Service Centre, Hoosier Tire Canada, Wood Motor Company and
Central Fabricating in addition to many marketing partners Visit
them athttp://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/sponsors.htmand visit them when you require their
products and/or services.

Celebrating 15 years of serving the
Hamilton, Halton and Niagara Regions, Bobcat of Hamilton is a
leading provider of compact equipment for a wide variety of
markets – striving to empower customers to do their jobs more
efficiently and effectively.